Sterilization and storage container

ABSTRACT

A surgical container for sterilizing, transporting and storing small surgical instruments such as drill, pins, screws and the like. The container comprises a base having at least one well, and includes an apertured plate for holding the instruments, covering the well at least in part. The apertured plate has apertures sized to accommodate selected instruments, and a cover rotatably mounted over the apertured plate. The cover has an opening for providing access to a limited area of the plate and any instruments loaded therein.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to sterile container systems generally, and moreparticularly to container systems for the sterilization and subsequentsterile storage of medical surgical instruments and the like.

Sterilization of precision surgical instruments and their subsequentsterile storage is of paramount concern to surgeons and hospitals.Sterilized surgical instruments are essential during surgical proceduresto minimize the risk of infection.

Some example prior art patents which provide for sterilization andstorage of surgical instruments are Arp et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,643,303;Nichols, U.S. Pat. No. 4,728,504, and Spence, U.S. Pat. No. 4,783,321.These prior art patents generally teach the use of baskets or trays tohold the instruments to be sterilized, and include apertures in thebaskets which allow for gross drainage of condensation from the basketsfirst to the container floor below the basket, and from the containerfloor to the outside.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,643,303 describes a sterilization container enclosing aninstrument basket within a box-like base and cover. The container alsoincludes clamps mounted to the container by hinges for releasablyholding the cover to the base. U.S. Patent No. 4,783,321 describes asterilization container enclosing an instrument basket within a base andcover. The container also includes a latch mechanism for releasablyholding the cover to the base.

Hauze, U.S. Pat. No. 4,798,292, describes a non-locking sterilizationcontainer with apertures arranged in rows and columns enclosing a flatsurfaced insert with apertures arranged in rows and columns such thatthe apertures in the container and the insert are vertically aligned.Pegs are inserted in the insert apertures to provide horizontalseparation of the instruments during sterilization and subsequentpresentation of the instruments.

Brooks, U.S. Pat. No. 5,098,676 describes an improved sterilization trayassembly for sterilizing, transporting and storing instruments,comprising an upper tray section including a plurality of upper trayports spaced in a predetermined pattern; a lower tray section includinga plurality of lower tray ports spaced in a predetermined pattern; andlocking means for engaging the upper tray section and the lower traysection to form a sealing contact between the upper and lower traysections. A mat made of silicone rubber and sized to fit the tray ispositioned between the tray sections. The mat has an upper surface and alower surface, and includes a plurality of ports in the mat spaced in apredetermined pattern wherein the mat ports and the lower tray ports arein vertical alignment. The mat also has a plurality of upwardly tapered,vertical projections spaced in a predetermined pattern on the uppersurface, the vertical projections having tips at their free ends toprovide support for instruments above the upper surface; and a pluralityof downwardly projecting support feet depending from the lower surfacespaced in a predetermined pattern for spacing the lower surface abovethe lower tray section.

The sterilization tray assembly as described in Brooks U.S. Pat. No.5,098,676 is available commercially from PolyVac, Inc. of Manchester,N.H., and has achieved substantial commercial success. However, whilethe silicone rubber mat as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,098,676 providesa convenient support for larger surgical instruments, smallerinstruments such as drill bits, pins, screws and the like may not besecurely held. Accordingly, PolyVac, Inc. and others have introducedsterilization trays including one or more holding strips specificallydesigned to releasably hold selected surgical instruments.

In copending application Ser. No. 08/355,997 filed Dec. 14, 1994,assigned to a common assignee, there is disclosed a sterilization,transporting and storage container tray assembly for a surgicalinstrument kit, which includes a rack assembly having a plurality ofspaced apertures for accommodating small surgical instruments such asdrills, pins, screws or the like. The apertures have i.d.'s selected foraccommodating the selected instruments, etc. so that the instrumentsreadily may be loaded into the rack for sterilization, and readily maybe removed by the surgeon during an operation. The rack is rotatablymounted in the storage container bottom tray or in an instrument trayloaded in the bottom tray so that the rack may be rotated to ahorizontal position to reduce the possibility that the instrumentsloaded therein might be dislodged during transport. The rack rotatablemounting also permits the user to orient the rack at an angle whichfacilitates both the identification and removal of the smallinstruments.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an improved sterilization, transportingand storage container for small instruments such as drills, pins, screwsand the like, and which comprises an apertured base member having atleast one hollow, and having an apertured plate covering the at leastone hollow at least in part. The apertured plate has apertures Sized toaccommodate selected instruments. A cover rotatably mounted over theapertured plate has a slot for providing access to a limited area of theplate and the instruments loaded therein. In a preferred embodiment ofthe invention, the container includes one or more additional hollows orwells which are selectively covered by a slidably mounted cover. Inanother and preferred embodiment the invention includes means forreleasably storing an extraction tool for facilitating removal ofinstruments loaded in the plate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other objects of the present invention and variousfeatures and details of the operation and construction thereof arehereinafter more fully set forth with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein like numerals depict like parts, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of theinvention showing the sterilization and storage container in a closedposition;

FIG. 2 is a partially exploded view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view, in partial cross-section, of the container ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view, in partial cross-section, of thecontainer of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view showing details of the instrument support diskportion of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view showing details of the rotatable cover portionof the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the slide cover portion of the presentinvention;

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view, and showing an extractor tool usefulwith a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 9 is an enlarged view, and providing details of the distal end ofthe extractor tool of FIG. 8 shown engaging the top of a drill.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, and in particular, FIGS. 1-7, thesterilization and storage container of the present invention isindicated generally by numeral 10. The container consists of a basemember 12, preferably formed of a high density polypropylene or thelike. Base member 12 is generally palm or hand-sized, and includes acylindrical portion 14 and a rectangular or square portion 16. One ormore recesses or wells 18a, 18b, 18c are formed in body 12, for example,by casting or milling in known manner. As seen particularly in FIG. 3,well 18a includes a first shallow area 20 and a second deeper area 22,i.e. for accommodating different length instruments. A plurality ofthrough holes 24 are drilled through body 12 running between the floorof well 18a, and the body bottom 26 for providing ingress and egress ofsterilizing fluid and drainage of condensation,

A feature and advantage of the present invention is to provide asterilization and storage container system particularly adapted forsmall instruments such as drill bits, pins, screws and the like, andwhich facilitates selection and removal of particular instruments.

Referring also to FIGS. 5 and 6, an instrument support disk 30 ismounted on hub 32 formed centrally of base 12 cylindrical portion 14.Disk 30 is fixedly positioned on hub 32 by fastening means such asscrews 34 which extend through holes (not shown) in disk 30 into hub 32.A detent ball 36 is positioned extending through an aperture 38 in disk30 for cooperating with holes 40 in rotatably mounted cover 42 whichoverlies and is spaced from disk 30. As seen in particular in FIG. 6,cover 42 includes a cutout 44 for providing limited access to selectedinstruments held in disk 30 as will be described in detail hereinafter.Cover 42 also includes recesses 46 for engagement with the finger orthumb for rotating the cover. Preferably, cover 42 is spaced from disk30 so as to permit ingress and egress of sterilization fluid at the topside of the disk.

Referring again to FIG. 5, disk 30 includes a plurality of apertures 50which are sized to accommodate different diameter instruments such asdrill bits, pins, screws or the like. In order to assist the surgeon inselecting the desired instrument, like instruments may be organized orgrouped together in separate segments of the disk and identified byindicia printed on the top surface 52 of the disk. Cutout 44 in cover 42is sized and shaped so as to expose only a single grouping or segment 54at any one time. By way of example, disk 30 may be divided into twelvesegments, 54 each comprising thirty degrees, while cutout 44 maycomprise a segment or arc-of approximately thirty-five degrees. One ofthe segments 54A is left undrilled, so as to provide a "parking"position for cover 42.

Wells 18b and 18c are formed in the rectangular portion 16 of body 12.As before, a plurality of through holes 56 run from the bottom of wells18b, 18c to the bottom 26 of body 12 to provide for ingress and egressof sterilization fluid and drainage of condensation. A cover member 58is slidably disposed over wells 18b, 18c and mounted in slots 60, 62which are formed integrally with body 12. A plurality of holes 64 areformed along one edge of cover 58 for engaging with detents 66 which aremounted in body 12 adjacent slot 62. Cover 58 also includes a pair ofrecesses 65 for accommodating a fingernail or thumb nail in assisting insliding cover 58 to expose instruments in wells 18b, 18c.

Covers 42 and 58 preferably are formed of a transparent polymericmaterial such as a polysulfone so that the instruments stored thereunderreadily may be viewed by the surgeon.

Completing the preferred embodiment of the invention, one or a pair ofbores 70 are formed in an end of body 12 for accommodating andreleasably storing an extraction tool for facilitating removal ofinstruments stored in the container. Bores 70 include a first largediameter section 72 for accommodating the handle portion of theextraction tool as will be described in detail hereinafter, and a smalldiameter section 74 for accommodating the tip and shank of theextraction tool. Finally, a strip 76 formed of a resiliently deformablematerial such as silicon rubber is mounted in a slot 78 whichtransverses in part large diameter section 72 of bores 70. Strip 76releasably captures and holds the extraction tool for use by thesurgeon.

Referring now to FIGS. 8 and 9, the extraction tool useful in accordancewith the present invention includes an elongate handle 80 through whichis mounted an elongate shank 82 terminating at its distal end in areverse cut wings 84 or the like for engaging the slotted ends 86 of aninstrument such as a drill pin, screw or the like.

In a preferred embodiment, shank 82 extends completely through a bore inhandle 80 and is fixedly positioned to a top piece 88. Shank 82 isrotatably mounted within handle 80 and is held in handle 80 by a screwdetent 90 or the like which cooperates with an annular slot (not shown)on the shank 82.

It is thus seen that there has been provided in accordance with thepresent invention a sterilization and storage container particularlyadapted for small surgical instruments such as drills, pins and screws.While particular embodiments of the present invention have beenillustrated and described below, it is not intended to limit theinvention, and changes and modifications may be made therein within thescope of the following inventions.

I claim:
 1. A sterile container for sterilizing, transporting, andstoring surgical instruments, and comprising a base having at least onewell, an apertured plate covering at least part of said well, saidapertured plate having apertures to accommodate selected instruments, arotatable cover being spaced from the apertured plate, said cover havingan opening for providing access to a limited area of the plate and anyinstruments loaded therein, said base including at least one bore foraccommodating the handle portion of an extraction tool stowed therein,and a resiliently deformable strip transversing said bore at least inpart for releasably engaging the handle portion of said tool.
 2. In asterilization container according to claim 1, and including indiciakeyed to instruments, printed on a surface of the plate.
 3. In asterilization container according to claim 1, wherein said coverincludes a plurality of holes for engagement by a detent extending abovethe plate.
 4. In a sterilization container according to claim 1, andcomprising at least one additional well covered at least in part by aslidably mounted cover.